RANGERS booked their place in the Glasgow Cup final with a convincing 11-0 win over Queen’s Park at Broadwood Stadium this evening.
It was head coach Jo Potter’s first match in charge of the Light Blues who put on a dominant performance throughout in Cumbernauld. Goals from Chelsea Cornet, a pair of braces for Jodi McLeary and Kirsty Howat and a hat-trick a piece for new signing Rio Hardy and Megan Bell saw off the SWPL 2 side in the semi-final.
Potter’s first starting lineup in charge saw Rangers lineup in a new look back three formation with the head coach opting for a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Jenna Fife started in goals for the Gers, behind a back three of Rachel McLauchlan, captain on the night Nicola Docherty and new signing Michelle Colson.
Chelsea Cornet and Kirsty Maclean started in midfield and were flanked either side by Jodi McLeary and Brogan Hay, Megan Bell started in behind a front two of Kirsty Howat and youngster Laura Berry.
The Gers came out of the traps quickly at Broadwood Stadium and almost got off to the perfect start. A corner kick was played short to Bell whose delivery from the right flank was met inside the area by the head of Colson, but she saw her header drift just past the far post.
The hosts thought they had taken the lead on the eight minute mark, but Howat saw her volley at the near post ruled out for offside. The striker robbed the defender from the resulting free kick, but the covering Rachael O’Neill did brilliantly to get in front of Hay who was waiting for a tap in to divert the ball behind.
McLeary was next to go close as the Light Blues started really ramping up the pressure in Cumbernauld, Queen’s Park goalkeeper Chloe Gibney miss-kicked her clearance whilst well off her line, and the winger tried her luck from distance but saw her shot from range flash wide of the target.
Despite dominating the opening 20 minutes the Gers still went in search of the opener in the semi-final. Howat was getting more involved and did well to bring down a McLauchlan free kick and tried her luck on the spin but again it drifted passed the post.
It was again McLeary with the effort as the hosts went the closest so far after 21 minutes to going ahead. McLean did well to set Hay free down the right flank, she found the arriving winger round the back post but saw her effort come back off the underside of the bar and stay out.
The moment did arrive for the Gers moments later however, a delivery from the right side once again was met this time by the midfield runner in Cornet, her first effort was well blocked before she fired the ball home from close range at the second attempt to put Rangers deservedly in front.
Rangers doubled their lead just before the half-hour and made their dominance count in Cumbernauld. Bell was set in behind one on one but saw her right footed effort kept out by Gibney. The looping ball broke for Howat on the volley as it found the back off the net with the aid of a deflection off Rachel Ross.
Soon after McLeary did find herself on the scoresheet after being denied by the woodwork earlier in the match. Howat did well to turn and get her shot away after a short corner, her strike was again initially denied but the young winger was on hand at the back post to head the ball home and add a third on the night.
Bell was once again heavily involved as a flurry of goals started to arrive for the Gers. The Northern Irish international made a clever run in behind the Queen’s backline, acknowledging Howat better placed she squared the ball across for the striker to tap the ball into the empty net and add a fourth and her second of the evening.
Kirsty Maclean went close to getting on the scoresheet herself but saw her effort narrowly miss the target. Fresh off her recent Scotland cap the midfielder worked the ball well to create space on the edge of the area but her left footed effort drifted past, in what was the last of the main action of the first half.
The hosts started the second half in the same manner they ended the first. It was again Bell who made the advancing midfield run in behind as she looked to combine with Howat for the second time but the striker’s cushioned volley went wide.
Just two minutes later however the two players combined but it was Bell that put the finishing touches on the chance. Howat beat the offside trap and almost finished the chance herself; the keeper denied the shot but the midfielder was there to fire home the rebound through two bodies as she added a fifth.
It was two in quick succession for the midfielder as Bell raced through in similar fashion to add a sixth on the night. The 22-year-old raced through the Queen’s backline and slid the ball expertly beyond Gibney at the near post as the Gers stretched their lead further.
After a spell of stoppages in a five minute period there was a first goal in Rangers colours for Rio Hardy from the substitutes bench. Mia McAulay did well to skip past Taylor Davis and find Howat inside the area, her shot looked to be heading goal bound before it deflected off her strike partner as Rangers made it seven.
Bell went on to earn a personal highlight on the net and in similar fashion to her second strike she added a third, marking a hat-trick for herself on the night with another well taken right footed finish this time across substitute keeper Lauren McGregor and into the far corner.
There was still time for McLeary to add her second of the evening, getting on the end of a kick out from the Spiders goalkeeper and firing the ball into the empty net as the hosts added a ninth towards the end.
The last of the action saw Rio Hardy get on the scoresheet twice in the final two minutes of the contest as she marked her a debut with a hat-trick as the Gers cruised into this weekend’s final with an 11-0 victory.
RANGERS: Fife, McLauchlan (Austin 59), Colson (Hill 45 (Ferguson 73), Docherty, Cornet (Middag 45), Maclean (Laird 78), Hay (McAulay 59), McLeary, Bell, Howat (Clark 73), Berry (Hardy 45)
SUBS: Inman
QUEEN’S PARK: Gibney (McGregor 73), Ross (Gallagher 56), Bonner, Fulton (Quigley 56), Kane (McKee 73), Callaghan (Daly 73), Harty (Pollock 56), Molley, Craig, Cairney (McConnachie 73), O’Neill (Davis 23)